Melanie woke to the cool darkness of the Batcave. Her head was still
throbbing, though most of the blood was cleaned out of her hair. A large
gauze bandage covered her left temple. Her eyes refocused, and she saw
quiet activity all around her. Max was at the computer, Terry was throwing
combination punches at a heavy bag, and Bruce stood next to Max. Melanie
tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but her sudden movement
made the room spin. She lowered herself back down with a groan. She heard
quick, light footsteps approach her.
"Hey," Terry said softly. Melanie kept her eyes closed, but could tell he was kneeling at her bedside. His hand warmed he shoulder. It felt good. "How do you feel?" Melanie groaned again.
"How am I going to explain this at work," she moaned. Terry smiled. "I feel like shit. But I'll live." She opened one eye and turned toward Terry. "So what about those animal-guys we met? And that fine young man?"
Terry shook his head. "Mel, I gotta apologize for all this. I'm so sorry for what happened to you. It should have been me - it's my responsibility -" Melanie put up a hand.
"I stalked you, remember? I'm an adult, I can live by my choices. This was my choice. Although, maybe we can be more careful next time?" she winked.
By now, Bruce had joined them at her bedside. Was he moving slower than usual? thought Terry. "You'll be grounded for a while - at least for this week. You suffered a concussion, Melanie, and while it was fairly mild, you can't go back out until the dizziness and headaches go away." He handed her a glass of water. "Terry can continue patrolling until you're ready again."
Max's fingers deftly opened and maneuvered through various windows and passworded sites. Finally her hands paused. Her eyes widened slightly. "Shit, shit, shit," she whispered. Then more typing. Max shook her head. "Bruce," she finally said, "I think Daniels is going global. Like right now."
The old man tensed. "What do you have, Max? Is it reliable?"
"In the past few weeks - OK, since I met Jared - I've gotten a lot of other contacts. I've been helping them, and in return I've asked them to check things out for me. That, and what I have here," she pointed at the monitor, "shows lots of pharmaceuticals movement not only to Kenya, but also Calcutta, Kathmandu, and Uruguay. All somehow tied to NWI." Everyone was silent as the information sank into their bones with dread. All wondered how they could possibly beat this.
Bruce stood up and started walking toward the console. There had to be a solution, he thought, we just have to look at it the right way. He was so deep in thought he didn't immediately notice his hands tremoring. He glanced down at them, and when he caught sight of the floor it seemed to shift underneath him. As he tried to steady himself, he became vaguely aware of falling, just before he lost consciousness.
"Terry!" Max shrieked. She bounded to his side, and felt for his pulse and signs of breathing. He was alive, but unresponsive. Terry helped her lift him up and into his car.
Like a shot, he headed for Gotham General.
++++++++++++++++++
Terry's mind was a blur. He followed Bruce as far as the hospital staff would let him go. Now he sat in a beige waiting room. He didn't know what acute renal failure meant, but the term "failure" was never good. He stared numbly at the opposite wall, not knowing what to do, and not trusting himself to think. He didn't want to think about the possibility of losing his mentor. At the same time, he had to acknowledge that Bruce was solidly in his eighties. Also, he has slowed down considerably in the last year. Maybe the late nights and computer work became too much. Yet the man was driven.
Terry couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible.
++++++++++++++++++
Whenever something bothered Max, she would rather distract herself with a project than deal with the problem head-on. This problem of Bruce's mortality was no different.
"Nightwing. This is Oracle." she spoke in a stern voice.
"Nightwing here. What's up, babe?" Max could hear street sounds in the background.
"Need possible backup tonight here in Gotham. Can I count on you?"
"Um, when you say backup, are you saying work-related, or - "
"Saving the world from badguys, so yeah, work-related, twip," she snapped. Max could hear Jared straighten up.
"OK, OK. Sorry. Yes. I'll be there tonight."
"Good. Oracle out."
Jared shivered. He wondered if he would ever get used to working with his lover. She could be so - professional.
Max opened another communication link. This man would be her best hope for saving Africa. She wondered where in the Sudan he'd actually be.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hey," Terry said softly. Melanie kept her eyes closed, but could tell he was kneeling at her bedside. His hand warmed he shoulder. It felt good. "How do you feel?" Melanie groaned again.
"How am I going to explain this at work," she moaned. Terry smiled. "I feel like shit. But I'll live." She opened one eye and turned toward Terry. "So what about those animal-guys we met? And that fine young man?"
Terry shook his head. "Mel, I gotta apologize for all this. I'm so sorry for what happened to you. It should have been me - it's my responsibility -" Melanie put up a hand.
"I stalked you, remember? I'm an adult, I can live by my choices. This was my choice. Although, maybe we can be more careful next time?" she winked.
By now, Bruce had joined them at her bedside. Was he moving slower than usual? thought Terry. "You'll be grounded for a while - at least for this week. You suffered a concussion, Melanie, and while it was fairly mild, you can't go back out until the dizziness and headaches go away." He handed her a glass of water. "Terry can continue patrolling until you're ready again."
Max's fingers deftly opened and maneuvered through various windows and passworded sites. Finally her hands paused. Her eyes widened slightly. "Shit, shit, shit," she whispered. Then more typing. Max shook her head. "Bruce," she finally said, "I think Daniels is going global. Like right now."
The old man tensed. "What do you have, Max? Is it reliable?"
"In the past few weeks - OK, since I met Jared - I've gotten a lot of other contacts. I've been helping them, and in return I've asked them to check things out for me. That, and what I have here," she pointed at the monitor, "shows lots of pharmaceuticals movement not only to Kenya, but also Calcutta, Kathmandu, and Uruguay. All somehow tied to NWI." Everyone was silent as the information sank into their bones with dread. All wondered how they could possibly beat this.
Bruce stood up and started walking toward the console. There had to be a solution, he thought, we just have to look at it the right way. He was so deep in thought he didn't immediately notice his hands tremoring. He glanced down at them, and when he caught sight of the floor it seemed to shift underneath him. As he tried to steady himself, he became vaguely aware of falling, just before he lost consciousness.
"Terry!" Max shrieked. She bounded to his side, and felt for his pulse and signs of breathing. He was alive, but unresponsive. Terry helped her lift him up and into his car.
Like a shot, he headed for Gotham General.
++++++++++++++++++
Terry's mind was a blur. He followed Bruce as far as the hospital staff would let him go. Now he sat in a beige waiting room. He didn't know what acute renal failure meant, but the term "failure" was never good. He stared numbly at the opposite wall, not knowing what to do, and not trusting himself to think. He didn't want to think about the possibility of losing his mentor. At the same time, he had to acknowledge that Bruce was solidly in his eighties. Also, he has slowed down considerably in the last year. Maybe the late nights and computer work became too much. Yet the man was driven.
Terry couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible.
++++++++++++++++++
Whenever something bothered Max, she would rather distract herself with a project than deal with the problem head-on. This problem of Bruce's mortality was no different.
"Nightwing. This is Oracle." she spoke in a stern voice.
"Nightwing here. What's up, babe?" Max could hear street sounds in the background.
"Need possible backup tonight here in Gotham. Can I count on you?"
"Um, when you say backup, are you saying work-related, or - "
"Saving the world from badguys, so yeah, work-related, twip," she snapped. Max could hear Jared straighten up.
"OK, OK. Sorry. Yes. I'll be there tonight."
"Good. Oracle out."
Jared shivered. He wondered if he would ever get used to working with his lover. She could be so - professional.
Max opened another communication link. This man would be her best hope for saving Africa. She wondered where in the Sudan he'd actually be.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++